MBA

Profiles

Kendall Brinker, MBA 2009

Kendall Brinker is driven by a passion for the auto industry. Although her university was "overwhelmingly male," she found a great number of female colleagues who shared her enthusiasm in the Industrial Engineering program. There, they participated in an innovative curriculum that alternated three months of work with three months of classes. "I worked at General Motors (GM) on power train operations," Kendall says. "The job allowed me to bring real life situations into my classes."

Intense, yet inspiring

Kendall's experience at Kettering University proved to be the perfect transition to the case method, "which really recruited me to HBS," she says. "I originally thought I would learn a lot of models, but instead, HBS emphasizes the thought skills you need as a manager. Through the cases, you understand that it's not enough to know the 'right' answer; you have to know how to approach people to get things implemented."

The section has helped Kendall overcome any anxieties she may have had about tackling business issues outside of her experience. "Without a financial background, I might have felt left out," she says. "But it's amazing how quickly you get to know 90 people. They make the campus a comfortable environment – there's always someone I can approach with my questions."

Outside of classes, Kendall has attracted speakers and organized panels for the annual Turnaround Symposium. There aren't many man made products that inspire as much passion as cars," Kendall notes. As an active member of the Automotive Club, she gets access to events many others would envy. "We got to test drive Lamborghinis at a local dealership," Kendall says. For the New England Auto Show, GM sent a bus to chauffeur club members to the exhibition an hour before it formally opened, "giving us a chance to meet directly with GM executives."

Bringing something new to an older industry

"I want to see the American auto industry excel," says Kendall. After HBS, she intends to return to GM where she can apply her newly acquired skills toward, "improving operations, strengthening our marketing, and simply developing more forward-thinking strategies."